The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Cuba will be working together on environmental projects developed and led by the country’s most vulnerable communities through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), which is implemented by UNDP. Over the next five years, the SGP National Steering Committee with government, academia, and civil society representatives will select at least 15 community-based projects focused on biodiversity conservation to receive grants of up to US$50,000 up to a total of $1.05 million.
Through these efforts, CBF, UNDP Cuba and SGP expect to improve biodiversity management across 1,450 hectares of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, while also promoting sustainable livelihoods for 3,000 local community residents. Ultimately, this agreement will contribute to protecting ecosystems and tackling biodiversity loss in Cuba through local community engagement.
Photo: Jennifer Chen/Unsplash
A CONSERVATION FINANCE MILESTONE
The mission of the CBF is to “ensure continuous funding for conservation and sustainable development in the Caribbean”. As with other Caribbean countries, the CBF is working to create a National Conservation Trust Fund (NCTF) mechanism for long-term CBF funding in the country. This agreement showcases the adaptability in funding conservation efforts beyond traditional National Conservation Trust Funds. According to CBF, this joint effort with UNDP Cuba is an exciting opportunity to facilitate the flow of funds towards on-the-ground conservation efforts across Cuba..
About the CBF and SGP
The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) is a regional umbrella environmental fund that uses a flexible structure to implement innovative solutions and consolidate resource mobilization in the Caribbean through a range of financial instruments. The CBF has received financial support from mainly the German Government, specifically the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry of Environment (BMUV), both through KfW Development Bank (KfW) and the IKI International Climate Initiative (BMUV), as well as The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Other donors would include the GEF, World Bank, UNDP, French Agency for Development (AFD), the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) and Global Affairs Canada.
Currently, the CBF has 3 programs, the Conservation Finance Program, based on an endowment fund, Climate Change Program, focused on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) strategies, and Nature-based Economies Program with aCircular Economy focus. The CBF Endowment Fund invests funds for 12 Caribbean countries to date. They ares: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haití, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Visit the CBF website to learn more.
SGP is a corporate programme of the GEF implemented by UNDP. Established in 1992, SGP is currently active in 127 countries and promotes community-based innovation, capacity development, and empowerment through projects led by local civil society and community-based organizations, with special consideration for Indigenous Peoples, women, youth and persons with disabilities. SGP has supported over 28,000 community-based projects on biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable land management, conservation of international waters, and chemicals and waste management, while generating sustainable livelihoods.